In addition to the 16 national distributors, there is the American News Co, which distribules the publishers’ produet through its branches located in most of the principal cities of the United States.
6. The wholesale distributor occupies, therefore, a position between the pubhisher—or the national distributor—and the retailer, inelud- ing the newsstand proprietor. In addition to the daily newspapers he carries in stock at any oue given time thousands of different titles of magazines, periodicals, and pocketsized books, which may come to him from all 1G national distributors and which in turn have come to the national distributors from the hundreds of publishers.
7. Iu this connection, il is particularly important to note two things in connection with the wholesale distributors business :
(a) He is in no way consulted about the editorial or reportorial content of the magazines and books he distributes; he simply is the active source of supply through whom the retailer receives the pub- lisher’s product.
Mr. Beaser. Has he any method in selecting what he gets?
Mr. Buack. He can reject.
Mr. Beaser. And send back, you mean?
Mr. Brack. He can refuse and send back and reject.
(b} The time element in the handling of the publications is such that, not only is it physically impossible for the wholesale distributor to read the books aud magazines before shipment to the retailer, but even of no lesser importance is the fact thal he may not be qualified to appraise their content from the standpoint of ethics, morals, or the law.
8. ‘Lhe wholesaler recognizes and admits that some publishers pub- lish and some wholesalers distribute magazines, books, and other read- ing material which may contain immoral and otherwise offcnsive matter or place improper emphasis on crime, violence, and corruption and does not deny that this may have an impact upon the mind of the juvenile, adelescent, and impressionable, and that harm may result therefrom.
He is unable to state the degree of this harm and submits that this is 2 matter of scientific study and examination. He has openly stated and agreed that the industry must take heed of these conditions and that conercte and active steps should be taken within the industry to curb the abuses and elininate the evils.
9, ‘Lis association, as well as the other regional associations of independent wholesale distributors, deplores the publication and dis- semination of offensive and obscene titerature. Haying taken actual anc realistic cagnizance of this problem, tt has taken certain steps, both collectively and mdividually, to curb the issuance and dissemina- tion of reading material deemed objectionable.
Mr. Beaser. How recently were these steps taken?
Mr, Buack. Right up to the past week. For example:
(a) Inthe fall of 1951, this association established committee No. 1, so-called, on obscene literature, to deal formally and officially with this problem. This committee has been very active in focusing atten- tion on this problem and alerting the members to doing something about tb.
(@) In its conventions and district meetings this problem is No, 1 item on the agenda where, again, the problem is brought forcibly home to the members of the association.
